An 80-year-old man was sitting on the sofa in his house along with his 45-year-old highly educated son. Suddenly a crow(乌鸦) rested on their window.
The father asked his son, “What is this?”
The son replied “It is a crow.”
After a few seconds the father asked his son the second time, “What is this?”
The son said, “Father, I just now told you; it is a crow.”
After a little while, the old man again asked his son the third time, “What is this?”
At this time some expression of anger was felt in the son’s tone when he said to his father, “It is a crow, a crow.”
A little later, the father again asked his son the fourth time, “What is it?”
This time the son shouted at his father, “Why do you keep asking me the same question again and again? Although I have told you so many times? It is a crow. Are you not able to understand this?”
A little later the father went to his room and came back with an old diary which he had kept since his son was born. On opening a page, he asked his son to read that page. The following words were written in it:
Today my little son aged three was sitting with me on the sofa. When a crow was sitting on the window, my son asked me 23 times what it was, and I replied to him all 23 times that it was a crow. I hugged him lovingly each time he asked me the same question again and again for 23 times. I did not at all feel angered. I rather felt affection for my innocent(单纯的) child.
So ……
If your parents reach old age, do not look at them as a burden, but be kind to them. Be considerate to your parents.How many times did the father asked his son the same question?
| A．Twice. | B．Three times. |
| C．Tour times. | D．Twenty-three times. |
What was written in the diary mainly shows_________.
| A．the son’s foolishness | B．the father’s loneliness |
| C．the father’s love for his son | D．the son’s curiosity |
After reading the diary, the son most probably felt_________.
| A．very disappointed | B．even angrier |
| C．rather happy | D．deeply ashamed |
What lesson should we learn from the passage?
| A．We should be considerate to our parents. |
| B．It’s important to be a great father. |
| C．We should form the habit of keeping a diary. |
| D．Old diaries have extraordinary values. |
A deadly strain of avian flu may have passed between people for the first time, experts believe.The avian influenza A (H7N9) virus is thought to have been transmitted between father and daughter in eastern China, according to research published online by the British Medical Journal (BMJ).
The findings provide the strongest evidence yet of H7N9 transmission between humans since its discover in February, but its ability to transmit itself was deemed "limited and non-sustainable" by the Chinese researchers behind the study.At the end of June 133 cases had been reported, including 43 deaths. Most infections have been among people visiting markets, selling live birds or among those who had contact with live poultry（家禽） in the seven to 10 days before becoming ill.
The latest study examined the case of a 60-year-old father who regularly visited a live poultry market and became ill five to six days after his last visit in March. He was admitted to hospital with fever, cough and shortness of breath. Despite intensive care treatment he died of multiple organ failure on 4 May. His 32-year-old daughter, who was previously healthy, looked after him at his bedside before he was admitted to intensive care. She had no known exposure to live poultry before falling ill with a very high temperature, cough and fever. The daughter developed symptoms six days after her last contact with her father and was admitted to hospital where she died of multiple organ failure on 24 April.
Follow-up investigations(调查) uncovered almost genetically identical virus strains from each patient, suggesting transmission from father to daughter. Another 43 people were also tested who had had close contact with the father, daughter or both.
Dr Peter Horby, senior clinical research fellow at the Oxford University Clinical Research Unit in Hanoi, Vietnam, said of the study: "The most likely source of infection for the daughter was her father, during the period that she cared for him while he was ill. "He said “limited person to person transmission had been reported for other strains like H5N1 , H7N7, and the pig origin flu virus H3N2. Those strains had been around for more than a decade but have not progressed any further down the path towards a world-wide virus.” “Limited human-to-human transmission of H7N9 virus is therefore not surprising, but strengthening to monitor it was still needed,” Dr Horby added.What’s the main idea of the passage ?
| A．The findings about H7N9 transmission only between father and daughter . |
| B．H7N9 transmission may be spreading between people . |
| C．133 cases of H7N9 transmission have been reported . |
| D．Both the father and daughter died of multiple organ failure. |
The reason why the daughter died of multiple organ failure was that _____.
| A．she fell ill with a very high temperature, cough and fever. |
| B．she was exposed to live poultry before falling ill. |
| C．she had close contact with the father while caring for her sick father . |
| D．she sold live birds in five to six days before falling ill . |
Which of the following is Wrong about H7N9 transmission?
| A．It was limited and non-sustainable |
| B．It was person to person transmission |
| C．It wasn’t progressed any further down the path towards a world-wide virus. |
| D．It happened between father and daughter . |
The underlined word s “was deemed” in paragraph 2 probably means _______
| A．was decreased | B．was regarded as |
| C．was thought of | D．was developed |
What type of writing is the article likely to be ?
| A．A news report. | B．Popular science. |
| C．A medical report | D．A medical findings |
America’s No.1 health problem? A report published by the American Institute of Stress claims the biggest threat to health today is neither cancer nor AIDS. The report says: “It has been estimated that75-90 percent of all visits to primary care physicians are for stress related problems”
It is no exaggeration to say that people today are being attacked by stress. According to the National Consumers League, “ Work is the top source of stress for adults who have problems and stress in their lives (39%),followed by family (30%).Other sources include health (10%), concern about the economy (9%)and concern about international conflict and terrorism (4%).”
However , stress is hardly unique to the United States .A British survey in 2013 estimated that “over half a million individuals in Britain believed in 2012 that they were experiencing work –related stress at a level that was making them ill .” As a result of “work –related stress, depression or anxiety ,”there are “an estimated thirteen and a half million reported lost working days per year in Britain .”\
The picture is no less bleak (荒凉的) in mainland Europe .According to the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work , “work-related stress has been shown to affect millions of European Workers across all types of employment sectors .” One survey revealed that there are “about 41 million workers affected by work-related stress each year.”
What about Asia ? A report issued by a conference held in Tokyo concluded: “ Job stress is a common concern among many countries in the world , both developing and industrialized countries .” The report observed that “several countries in East Asia , including China and Korea, have rapidly industrialized and economically grown .These countries now have a lot of concerns on job stress and its harmful effects on workers’ health.”What did the author indicate by quoting “America’s No.1 Health Problem.” (Para. 1)?
| A．He wanted to talk about health problems in America. |
| B．He meant to introduce the topic of stress |
| C．He hoped to emphasize the stress in America |
| D．He wanted to tell readers something about American Institute of Stress |
Which of the followings is NOT true?
| A．The threat of work-related stress is bigger than cancer and AIDS. |
| B．Stress is always from working and living pressure. |
| C．Some Americans care about international conflict and terrorism. |
| D．A lot of English people become ill as a result of stress. |
We can infer from the last paragraph that ______.
| A．Asian people are more willing to develop their countries |
| B．the rapid economic development is the main reason for stress |
| C．some people in Asian countries have health problems from employment stress |
| D．Asian countries have a better situation of stress than Europe |
It is likely that you’ll read this information in ______.
| A．Popular Science | B．New York Medical News |
| C．Daily Health Report | D．Medicine and Healthcare Journal |
What’s the best title for this passage ?
| A．America’s No.1 Health Problem | B．How to Deal with Stress |
| C．Attacked by Stress | D．Working Stress around the World |
Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge's new son will be named George Alexander Louis, the royal family says. A statement from William and Catherine's settlement Kensington Palace said the baby, third in line to the throne(王位), would be known as His Royal Highness Prince George of Cambridge.
On Wednesday the royal couple took their son to Catherine's parents' house in Berkshire, following a half-hour visit by the Queen. All three names had been among the favourites listed by British bookmakers and the announcement was relatively quick by royal standards. It took a month for the name ofPrince Charles, the heir to the throne, to be announced, and a week for William, his eldest son.
George has been the name of six British kings. The last, George VI, was the father of Queen Elizabeth II and reigned from 1936 to 1952. Alexandra, the female form of Alexander, is one of the Queen's middle names and was also the name of the Queen mate of King Edward VII at the start of the last century. Louis is one of William's middle names and was the given name of Prince Charles's tutor and great-uncle Louis Mountbatten, who was murdered by the IRA in 1979.
The choice of name, relatively short by royal standards, does not necessarily mean the baby will eventually become King George VII. The Queen's father was named Albert, but chose to be crowned as George VI.
"It's interesting that they chose to go with just three names," historian Suzannah Lipscomb told Sky News. "It's almost as if the royal family is coming down with ordinary people, who tend to have fewer middle names than monarchs(君主).It is a name that none can find any problems with. George itself can't be shortened in any obvious offensive way. They've probably gone for something that is safe."Which of the following statements can best sum up the passage ?
| A．New royal baby named George Alexander Louis |
| B．The royal couple gave birth to their eldest son. |
| C．The choice of name was interesting and complicated . |
| D．The new baby, third in line to the throne . |
From the passage we can know the father of the new royal baby is ____.
| A．Catherine | B．George. | C．Charles | D．William |
Which of the following is True based on the whole passage ?
| A．Prince Charles was the third heir to the British throne. |
| B．George Alexander Louis was the third heir to the British throne. |
| C．The announcement of the new loyal baby’s name is slow by royal standards. |
| D．All three names , George Alexander Louis, were unpopular with British bookmakers. |
The underlined word “reign” in paragraph 4 probably refers to ______
| A．resign | B．boom | C．govern | D．retire |
From what Suzannah Lipscomb told Sky News , we can infer in Britain _____
| A．the name of an ordinary person is simple but meaningful . |
| B．George itself can't be simplified in any obvious offensive way. |
| C．a monarch or a prince has usually more names in the middle than the ordinary people. |
| D．a person with more middle names must be a monarch or a prince . |
Global financial big dogs are no match for China's "Da Ma", or housewives, who have crowded into gold stores across China, buying up 300 tons of gold over the past two weeks. No wonder gold prices have steadied after taking a dive.
During the May Day holiday, gold stores were crowded with mostly female customers. Most of them are middle-aged "Chinese housewives". This group of buyers has risen to fame recently. They are big spenders and are desperate to get their hands on a bargain. "I bought some gold jewellery and kept them as a gift for my son when he gets married," said a buyer from Shanghai.
The gold business is skyrocketing. "Our sales are growing by the day. Yesterday we sold more than ten million yuan of gold products," a gold store salesperson said. The gold rush in China started about two weeks ago thanks to a decline in global gold prices. Media reports suggest that Chinese housewives have spent about 100 billion yuan, or about 16 billion US dollars, purchasing 300 tons of gold since mid-April. That has helped support gold prices.
"Gold prices depressed since the middle of last month but have risen gradually. That is mainly due to the strong demand from Asian markets," said foreign trader Zhang Chen from Industrial & Commercial Bank of China. "Some people even joked that Chinese housewives have beaten Wall Street analysts." For Chinese people, with limited investment options, the only thing better than buying gold is buying gold at discount prices.What does the author indicate in the first sentence of the 1st paragraph?
| A．The global big dogs can’t match with Chinese housewives. |
| B．China's "Da Ma" help a lot to support the global economic crisis . |
| C．Chinese housewives spend a great deal of money on gold |
| D．Chinese housewives have a better consumption idea than global financial big dogs |
The whole passage mainly developed_______ ?
| A．by comparison | B．by contrast |
| C．by quotation | D．by time order |
We can infer about the gold rush in China from the passage?
| A．The Chinese housewives are most willing to spend money in buying gold .. |
| B．China's "Da Ma" crowded into stores to get gold as the best gifts for sons when they get married. |
| C．China's "Da Ma" are bigger spenders and cleverer than global financial big dogs. |
| D．China’s "Da Ma" become the largest gold buyers due to a decline in global gold prices. |
In the writer’s view, Chinese housewives are desperate to get their hands on a bargain because_____.
A. it is worthy to buy gold.
B .they have a strong demand
C. they have unlimited investment options
D it is at discount prices.The author’s description about the passage is ______.
| A．objective | B．subjective | C．doubtful | D．negative |
Confucius said, “In a group of three people, there is always something I can learn. Choose to follow the strengths of others, and use their shortcomings to reflect upon ourselves.”
As you can see from what Confucius said, everyone that we come across can teach us something useful. As long as we reflect on the lessons learnt from and by other people, we can continuously improve ourselves. But take note that when you reflect on these lessons, you apply some wisdom to each lesson because each situation is unique although they share some common principles.
We can learn a lot from everyone. We always tend to think that we can only learn from those who are higher in status or have more knowledge than us, but that is not really the case. We learn from those who are lower in status than us as well, because the experience and knowledge of each person is very different.
The best thing about this type of learning, reflecting other people’s strengths and shortcomings onto ourselves, is that we do not pay for the mistakes that are made. The only cost to us is the time that is needed to learn about and reflect on these lessons from other people’s lives.
As we all know, some mistakes can be ones which people cannot afford to make, for instance, a broken friendship or a financial loss. Thus constantly using other people’s strengths and shortcomings to reflect upon ourselves makes us realize the costs of these mistakes and reduces the possibility that we will make similar mistakes.
What can we do now to learn from others? By keeping our eyes and ears open. Be observant and able to realize what strengths and shortcomings other people have. A lot of people in this world like to complain about their lives. Listen to them and make you own assessment and from your own assessment, reflect upon your life and make improvements where necessary.According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true?
| A．Confucius thought we should learn from strengths of others. |
| B．Only from those who have more knowledge than us can we learn. |
| C．It is by reflecting on the lessons learnt by others that we can improve ourselves. |
| D．Reflecting upon other people’s strengths and shortcomings can help us make fewer mistakes. |
The underlined part “this type of learning” in the fourth paragraph probably refers to_______.
| A．learning from other people’s mistakes |
| B．learning from others’ experiences |
| C．finding what strengths and shortcomings other people have |
| D．reflecting others’ strengths and shortcomings onto ourselves |
From the fifth paragraph, we learn that _______.
| A．sometimes we can afford the costs of a broken friendship |
| B．our reflection will necessarily reduce our mistakes |
| C．some reflection will help to improve ourselves |
| D．reflection will stop us from making any mistakes in life |
The passage is probably taken from __________.
| A．a magazine about life | B．a book about travel |
| C．an advertisement | D．a research report |
What does this passage mainly talk about?
| A．How to improve oneself. |
| B．How to use the shortcomings of others to reflect upon ourselves. |
| C．How to reduce the mistakes in one’s life. |
| D．How to learn from other people’s strengths and shortcomings. |
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